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Musical Understanding: An Analysis of the Creative Arts CAPS Outline for the Foundation Phase

Malan, Marsanne (2015-12)

Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.

Thesis

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa we are fortunate to have Music as part of the school curriculum. The new improved curriculum, the National Curriculum Statement Grades R – 12, is currently being introduced and implemented in South Africa from 2012 onwards. As a result of these developments in Basic Education, the researcher saw an open door to explore and discuss Music’s position in the curriculum in a study. Music is now part of the study area Creative Arts in a newly structured subject called Life Skills in the Foundation Phase. Each subject in the new curriculum has a prescribed outline of course material, referred to as CAPS (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement).
The main objective of this study was to determine how musical understanding is fostered in the new South African school curriculum. Through literature exploration the researcher sketched a background of new developments in the education curriculum of South Africa. As a theoretical framework to this study, the researcher turned to the writings of Elliott, specifically his ideas around musicianship which can also be seen as musical understanding. By using a range of researchers in the field a perspective was constructed around teaching-for-musical-understanding in the general music classroom.
The course outline set out for the Creative Arts in the Foundation Phase, with a focus on the Performing Arts (Dance, Drama and Music), was compared to a checklist for musical understanding compiled through literature exploration. Specific elements are necessary for musical understanding to be achieved in the general music classroom and through content analysis as a research design; the researcher critically examined the curriculum content.
It was evident through the analysis process that our South African curriculum supports musical understanding in the general music classroom. But the fullness of musical understanding can only be achieved when there is awareness in teachers using the course outline, of how learners come to understand music. The CAPS outline is set out in such a way that teachers can implement musical understanding daily in their classrooms, but it is of utter importance that the course outline for the Creative Arts will be used effectively.